[pct-l] Section I-almost

[Cris]

Well, I *almost* finished a full start-to-finish section!  Started at
Tuolumne Meadows on Aug 7.  Leaving Glen Aulin, I ran into Ellen and Mule
Slogger but it wasn't until we parted that I recognized the names from the
list.  They were doing H and I.  Hope you' all had a good hike!  I stretched
my second day to camp at McCabe Lake, a whole extra 2 miles and got my first
bad toe blisters ever.  Guess I coulda done a little more training (frown).
Anyway, Benson Pass was the first to really kick my a$$, but a cool summer
rain felt great and kept me climbing.  Smedberg Lake had trout jumping so
high I almost could have caught them with a frying pan (if I had brought
one).  I rested my blistered feet on the Benson Riviera, then made it over
Seavey Pass after enjoying lunch at the "wind free sparkling pond".  Along
the way I passed, and was passed by, several long section hikers.  Hwy 80 to
Mt Whitney was a popular goal.  Out of Kerrick Cnyn, those two humps called
Macomb Ridge and Bailey Ridge all in one day really hammered me and by the
time I reached Wilma Lake and Falls Creek I had developed plantar fasciitis.
Those first steps in the morning....yeeeeeeouch!  But the trail through Jack
Main Canyon was beautiful with wildflowers and gentle on my feet, not to
mention the cold soakings in Falls Creek.  At Dorothy Lake I met some very
nice folks who supplemented my "Vitamin I" supply (I'd been eating them like
M&M's).  They suggested the West Walker Trail down to Leavitt Meadow in lieu
of finishing at Sonora Pass, and it was a disappointing but wise choice
since my heel pain was growing more acute each day.  

As for water, all the normal sources mentioned in the guide/data book were
running fine and the seasonal ones were dry as expected.  No bear sightings
but I swear I saw a wild chicken!  The night before I started it snowed,
otherwise the weather was exceptionally sublime with lows in the 40's and
highs in the 70's.  

I could say I'm a long time list lurker but I prefer to think of myself as a
"learner" instead. A while back when folks were getting a little puffy about
some posters, I posted "things I've learned from the PCT-L".  I'm happy to
say I have really learned a LOT over the years.  Without these tips and
tricks I would not have been able to do 75 miles by myself (a more than
middle aged gal) and I wouldn't have had as much fun.  I would like to give
you my "top 5" here.  
.............
#5       Lipsmackin' Backpackin' recipes.  Trail salad was an awesome
no-cook, no stove, super energy booster treat. My food was actually yummy
and I could have gotten 16 days worth in my BV400, the one that "Mellow
Yellow" the bear has mastered.
#4       a bug-off treated bandana (military soak stuff).  Quick way to keep
the skeets from my face when I stopped for the evening and set up.
#3       Squirt bottle with water for..uh..you know....(better than packing
out the TP)
#2	   Bread size baggies to keep your blistered feet dry when you kinda
miss that rock you meant to hop across the creek on

And #1  ..... from none other than Switchback the Trail Pirate, the super
lightweight 1/4" thick gray firm foam pad that I cut to fit the bottom of my
BA Fly Creek tent.  It protected my Thermarest, added insulation (it got
downright cold!) was easy to pull off the top of my pack for a lunch break,
let me re-sort my pack and not leave anything behind, and was the most
useful piece of supplemental gear I've ever had.  

And now, under my favorite category of "mountains don't tolerate fools":
...........A 150 ct bottle of Ibuprofen ISN'T TOO HEAVY!.........

 Cris
...mountains don't tolerate fools...